Furniture assembly



Oct. 4, 1966 R. J. LAPPIN ETAL FURNITURE ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 16, 1963 4 2 2 f 7, Z f m n n ll E 1 n n 4 V n 7 u n m 7)! F/ Z uw !.nfr

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INVENTORS:

Oct. 4, 1966 R.J. LAPPIN ETAL FURNI TURE AS S EMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 16, l963` Oct. 4, 1966 R. J. LAPPIN ET AL FURNITURE AS SEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 16, 1953 lili 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 R. J. LAF-PIN ETAL FURNITURE ASSEMBLY Oct. 4, 1966 Filed Aug. 1e, 1963 Oct. 4, 1966 RJ. LAPPIN ETAL 3,276,831

FURNITURE ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 1s, 195s l E 5 I l United States Patent O 3,276,831 FURNITURE ASSEMBLY Richard J. Lappin and Robert G. Mohr, Kalamazoo,

Mich., assignors to Brunswick Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 302,548 Claims. ,(Cl. 312-108) This invention relates to furniture, and more particularly to a furniture assembly of horizontally ganged and vert-ically stacked furniture units, and components thereof.

The primary object of this invention is to provide new and improved furniture.

Another object is -to provide new and improved furniture units particularly suited to horizontal ganging and vertical stacking. A related object is the provision of new and improved components in such a unit. Another related object is provision of new and improved stacking units and gauging assemblies of such units.

Still another object is provision of a new and improved xture, particularly useful in a vertical stacking, and in a preferred embodiment applied to vertical stacking of furniture units.

A further object is provision of a new and improved corner assembly in a furniture unit or the like. A related object is provision of a 'bracket component of such an assembly for connecting furniture ends with fronts or backs and tops or bottoms.

A still further object is provision of a new and improved mounting member for panels. A related object is provision of a new and improved furniture unit bottom assembly including such mounting members.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a furniture unit embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the unit;

FIG. 3 is a right side view of the unit;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional view taken generally along the line 4 4 in FIGS. l and 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional view taken `generally along the line 5 5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view of a left front corner portion of the unit as shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary horizontal sectional View taken generally along the line 7--7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a front view of an assembly of horizontally ganged and vertically stacked units similar to that shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a right side view of the assembly in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary side View showing a stacking fixture and taken generally along the line 10-10 in FIG. 8;

FIG. l1 is a horizontal sectional view taken generally along the line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

fFIG. 12 is an enlarged, fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken generally along the line 12-12 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged, fragmentary horizontal sectional vie-w taken generally along the line 13-13 of FIG. 8.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplilication of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will -be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, a furniture unit is illustrated in the form of a cabinet 20. In the preferred embodiment, cabinet 20 has a rectangular bottom pan 21 secured to upright tubular corner posts 22 by brackets 23 on lower portions of the posts. Brackets 24 on the upper portions of the posts mount a front facial member 25 and a rear facial member 26, both extending between .opposite `ends of .the cabinet, and brackets 24 also secure a cabinet top 27 to the posts, thus providing a self-supporting structure.

As may best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, bottom pan 21 is preferably of unitary sheet metal construction and has a horizontal web member 30 connecting a front facial edge portion `31 and an opposite rear facial edge portion 32, and opposite side edge portions 33. The :front and rear facial edge portions 31 and 3-2 are similar to each other in that eac-h is provided with a channel portion 34 declined by a long upright leg 35 depending from an edge of web 30, with a portion including an outwardly extending horizontal rbight 36 terminating in `a short upright leg 37 extending upwardly from t-he outer edge 0f bight 36. The sheet metal is folded outwardly upon itself at a return portion 38 at the upper edge of leg 37 and extends therefrom in facial engagement with leg 37 and bight 36 downwardly and inwardly to an inner edge 39 at which the sheet metal is Ibent upwardly to dene a brace part 40 securely connected with web 30 inwardly of leg 35 by means of an inwardly extending horizontal flange 41 secured as by welding to the lower face of web 30.

With reference to F-IG. 5, side edge portions 33 of bottom pan 21 each includes an upright flange 45 depending from side edges of web 30. Each flange 45 has a longitudinally extending inwardly recessed channel 46 providing upper and lower bearing surfaces 47 for an adjacent side panel 48. A horizontal flange 49 extends inwardly from the lower edge of flange 45. Each side edge portion 33 is also provided wit-h a longitudinally extending channel 49a receiving a lower edge portion of the respective side panels, and herein a bracket 50 has a horizontal an'ge 51 secured, in a suitable manner as by screws 52, to the respective horizontal flange 49. Bracket flange 51 terminates in an upwardly extending short leg 54 which embraces the outer face of the respective side panel 48.

If desired, .a trim plate 55 may be provided, and this plate is preferably generally horizontally coplanar with lower extremities of the edge portions 31, 32 and 33 to provide a neat `and finished appearance. Horizontal flanges 49 support trim plate 55, and a brace 56, suitably firmly secured to and depending from web 30, may be secured to trim plate 55 as by one or more screws 57 to hold the plate against horizontal or upward movement.

As may `best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, the lower brackets 23, each has an apex or corner secured in any suitable manner, as by welding, to the respective post 22. A first vertical ange member 61 extends outwardly from the apex and is received in channel 46 which upstands by portion `47 from flange 49. If desired, a fastener such as a bolt 64 may be utilized to secure flange 45 to flange 61. A second vertically disposed ange member 62 extends from the apex and is telescopically received in U-shaped straps 63a and 63b stamped inwardly from leg 35 of the adjacent facial edge portion 31 or 32. The innermost U-shaped strap 63h is preferably slightly smaller than the outer U-shaped strap 63a so that ange mem-ber 62 Imay have a reduced free end which passes easily through the outer strap 63a and is snugly seated in the inner strap 63b. Flanges 61 and 62 are normal to each other and to post 22, and have generally horizontally coplanar edges.

Each upper bracket 24 has an apex or corner 70 (FIGS. 4 and 6) secured, eg., by welding, to fthe upper end of respective post 22. A rst vertical ange member 71 extends outwardly from the apex and has an outer surface 72 defining abutment means receiving an inner face of the adjacent side panel 48 which has opposite side edge portions received in channel members 73, one secured to each post 22. A horizontal third ange 76 extends inwardly from the upper edge of first ange 71 and receives a suitable fastener 77 securing top 27 to the respective bracket 24 'and leg 22. Each bracket 24 further has a second flange member 74 telescopically received in suitable holding means such as a C-.shaped channel75, extending inward from the facial imember 25 or 26. lThe end fraction of -an-inchV portion of flange 74 adjacent corner 70 is slightly wider Ythan the` remainder of the ange for snug or forced ftwithin the end portion of C- channel 75. Insertion of flange 74 into the end of channel 75 is by easy slip fit until the last :fraction of an inch which is snug tit. Fanges 71 land 74 are generally normal to each other and to-the adjacent post 22 and have horizontally coplanar edges.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, cabinet 20 is provided with a pair of overlapping sliding doors including an outer door 80 ,and an inner door 81 slidably supported by bottom pan 21 and front facial member 25. More particularly, lower edge portions of the doors are supported in a track mounting member 84, of material such as plastic, received in front edge portion channel 34. Mounting member 84 has a bottom 85 seated on channel ibight 36 by means of longitudinally extending feet 86 spaced apart transversely of channel 34.` An ,upright leg 87 extends from an inner edge of bottom 85 upwardly along long leg 35 of channel 34. Means for holding mounting member 84 in channel 34 is provided by abutment means in the form of an upper generally horizontal surface 88 extending inwaridly from leg 87 and receiving tabs 89 struck outwardly from leg 35. The abutment means also has a lower inclined surface 90 which rides over tabs 89 as the mounting member is inserted in lchannel 34. A generally T-shaped leg 91 extends upwardly from bottom 85 intermediate upright leg 87 of the mounting member and short leg 37 of channel 34, thus providing a pair of parallel longitudinally extending tracks 92 and 93 receiving llower edge portions of doors 80 `and 81,.

respectively.

Upper front facial member 25 is preferably extruded aluminum and is provided with a pair of downwardly opening channels 96 and 97 slidably receiving upper edge portions of doors 80 and 81, respectively, these upper edge portions being embraced by suitable downwardly opening longitudinally extending channels 98 of suitable material, such as plastic, for providing low friction with the front facial member 25 `and preventing scarring of the doors and rattling of doors in the top track. Preferably, member 25 is secured to top 27 by screws 99 since such securing has been found to markedly improve the cabinet structure stability. It should be noted that channels 96 and 97 are deep so that the respective doors may be lifted upwardly in these channels to clear the lower tracks 92 and 93 upon insertion or removal of the doors.

A back panel 105 is supported iat its lower end by bottom pan 21 and at its upper end by Ia rear facial membery 26 which may be of identical construction as front facial member 25, and receives the upper edge portion of back panel 105 in -a manner similar to the mounting of the doors. The lower edge portion of back panel 105 is supported on a rear mounting member 106.Y Member 106 .is generally similar to mounting member 84 in that it is provided with a bottom 107 supported on rear channel bight 36 by longitudinally extending depending feet 108 spaced transversely of the channel, with an upright leg 109 extending from the inner edge portion of bottom 107 4 upwardly Ialong inner channel leg 35, and is held in rear channel34 by tabs 89 engaging abutmentmeans on upright leg 109, all as previously described ywith reference to front mounting member 84. Ari Iarm 1121de'pends fromfan upper edge portion of upright leg 109 and more particularly from an outer edge of a generally horizontal -ange 113 extending outwardly from the upper edge of leg 109. Arm 112 is normally inclined downwardly and outwardly, as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 4. The mounting members are preferably formed of a suitably resilient plastic material so that arm 112 is normally resiliently urged outwardly, and upon insertion of lower edge portion of back panel the arm is forced inwardly to tightly urgel the back panel against short leg 37` of rear channel 34.

As shown by dotted lines in FIGS. .l1-3, posts 22 may extend below bottom pan 21 to provide legs 115 for the cabinet, and these rlegs maybe provided with vertically adjustable feet 1.16 of any suitable nature.

It should be understood that there is provided la basic structure consisting of four corner posts as at 22, -an upper shelf member as at 27, a lower shelf member as-Y at 21, and angle brackets as at 23 and 24 for rigidly attaching the shelf members to the corner posts. This basic structure as thus described supplies substantially the entire structural rigidity and provides a basic structure which may be optionally modified in various ways tosuit particular uses and applications. More specifically,` end panels as at 48 may be optionally utilized if closure at such positions is desired by suitably supporting the end panels in upwardly facing panels as at 49a in the lower shelf and in laterally facing channels as at 73 in the upright corner posts.- Front or rear panels -rnay be optionvally provided as at 105 by supporting the latter in upwardly facing channel means las at 107 in the lower shelf and by downwardly facing channel meansY in the -upper shelf as at 96. Alternatively, front or rear sliding door panels may be provided in the front or rear as at 80 and 81, supported in upwardly facing channel means as at 92 and 93 in the lower shelf and downwardly facing channel means as at 96 and 97 in the lupper shelf.

Either with or without end, efront or rear closure panels, the posts may be utilized for optionally supporting intermediate shelves adapted to rest upon shelf supporting clips of the type illustrated in the application of Charles W. Schneider filed December 5, 1961, as Serial No. 157,128, now U.S. Patent 3,125,970, or the pending application of Victor C. Schroeder tiled November 26, 1962, as Serial No. 240,017, which are receivable in longitudinal laterally facing channels as at 106` in the corner posts.

A plurality of furniture units 20 may be horizontally ganged and vertically stacked as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. As illustrated therein, upper furniture units of the stack assembly are not as deep as lower furniture units 20, but may be of any desired size and similar construction, and these upper furniture units have been designated by reference numeral 120.

With reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, when it is desired to gang the furniture units, an end of one of the cabinets 20 adjacent the end of another cabinet is devoid of upright posts 22, brackets 23 and 24 and side panel48, and instead is provided with lower brackets 123 and upper brackets `124 corresponding generally to brackets 23 and 24, respectively. Brackets 123 land 124 are connected with remaining structure of their respective units'in the same manner as brackets 23` and 24, respectively. In the advantageous ganged assemblies, adjacent cabinets in effect share corner posts and end panels. More particularly, and Iwith reference to FIG. 13, bracket. 123 hasa rst `vertical flange member 125 with abutment means 126 receiving the outer face of side panel 48 of the adjacent cabinet 20 and secured thereto by a bolt 127, corresponding to bolt 64, but extending through rst flange 61 of adjacent bracket 23, panel 48 and flange 1-25, and

secured by a nut. Similarly, each upper bracket 124 has a rst ange 130 abutting panel 48 of the adjacent unit with a bolt 131 extending through first ange 71 of bracket 24 of the adjacent unit 20, panel 48 and flange 130, and secured by ka nut. Any desired number of cabinets 20 may be ganged in this manner.

The cabinets which are ganged in accordance with the illustrated form of the invention are those cabinets of like end dimensions so that proper alignment is provided at the juncture of adjacent cabinets.

Means for vertically stacking the cabinets may be best seen in FIGS. 8-11. Upper cabinets 120 have upright posts 135, corresponding to lower cabinet upright posts 22 as previously described, and having open lower ends seated -on the upper surface of tops 27 of lower cabinets 20 and telescopically receiving fixtures 136. Each lixture 136 is of generally upright U-shaped configuration and has a bight 137 with an opening receiving a fastener such as a screw 138 for securing the fixture to top 27. Each fixture also has a pair of generally parallel upwardly extending legs, and more .particularly a first leg 139 having an inwardly inclined upper end portion 140 for guiding the respective leg 135 over the txture, and a second leg 141 with an opening aligned with a similar opening in leg 135 and receiving a suitable fastener such as a bolt 142 for releasably retaining leg 135 and its cabinet in stacked relationship with the flower cabinet.

We claim:

1. A furniture unit bottom assembly comprising: a body, an edge portion including an upwardly opening channel extending horizontally outwardly and depending from said body and defined by a long leg extending downwardly from said body, a portion having a bight extending horizontally outwardly from a lower end of said long leg and terminating at an outer edge of said bight in an upwardly extending short leg folded outwardly upon itself at an upper edge thereof to dene a return portion facially abutting said short leg and the lower face of said bight and extending inwardly to an end adjacent said long leg, and a brace extending inwardly and upwardly from said return portion end and connected with said lbody inwardly of said long leg.

2. A furniture unit bottom assembly comprising: a body, an edge portion including a long depending iiange, said iange deviating inwardly, downwardly and outwardly to define an outwardly open channel spaced om upper and lowe-r edges of said depending ange, and a generally horizontal iiange extending inwardly from said lower edge, a bracket having a portion detachably secured to said horizontal ange and extending outwardly therefrom to an upwardly extending short flange dening with said depending ange an upwardly opening channel.

3. A furniture unit bottom assembly comprising: a body, an edge portion including an upwardly opening channel depending from said body and defined by a long leg extending downwardly from said body, a portion having a bight extending horizontally outward .from the lower end of said long leg and terminating at an outer edge of said bight in an upwardly extending short flange, and a brace member extending from said bight to said body at a position inwardly of said long ileg.

4. The assembly of claim 3 comprising a second edge portion adjacent and forming a corner with said first mentioned edge portion, said second edge portion including a downwardly `depending second long leg having an inwardly stamped channel opening outwardly, an angle bracket having one leg of said angle bracket secured to said second long leg within said outwardly opening channel, and a slide receiver extending inwardly from said irst long leg receiving the second leg of said angle bracket to form a rigid leg corner of said assembly.

5. A furniture unit bottom assembly comprising: a body having four corners and opposite front and rear edge portions and opposite end edge portions, said end edge portions each comprising a downwardly projecting leg portion, an outwardly extending portion and an upwardly extending portion to dene an upwardly opening channel which extends outwardly from the leg portion, each of said leg portions including an inward deviation dening an outwardly opening channel spaced from the upper and lower ends of the leg portion, and an angle member at each corner, each angle member including a first flange in and secured to the outwardly opening channel in the leg portion of one of said end edge portions and including a second iiange received in an outwardly opening slide receiver of the leg portion of the adjacent edge portion to thereby rigidify the leg portions at each corner of said assembly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 629,672 7/ 1899 Fadum 312-140 X 744,405 11/ 1903 Reno 220-77 806,058 11/ 1905 Brown 220-80 2,081,023 5/ 1937 Teach 312--140 X 2,121,190 6/ 1938 Fellowes 312-108 2,371,493 3/ 1945 Aschinger 20-92 2,487,722 11/ 1949 Newell 312-108 X 2,543,008 2/1951 French 312-140 X 2,624,083 1/ 1953 Butler 20-92 2,674,769 4/ 1954 Carisi 20-92 2,689,159 9/1954 Schwitz 312-108 2,838,355 6/ 1958 Crowther 312-257 2,889,585 6/ 1959 Le Bon 20-19 3,000,680 9/ 1961 Zelenko 312-111 3,001,245 9/1961 Gillett 20--1 1 3,002,235 10/1961 Fountain 20-11 3,042,473 7/ 1962 Vincens 312--257 3,082,490 3/ 1963 Loucks 20-1 1 3,084,985 4/1963 Bergman 3 12-1 1 1 3,100,918 8/1963 Coverley 20-19 3,104,900 9/1963 Petrone 287-20 3,110,531 11/1963 Nowicki 312-138 X 3,111,337 11/1963 Kates 287--20 3,133,772 5/1964 Brandes 312-108 3,169,810 2/ 1965 Levy 312-140 X CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner,

A. FRANKEL, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A FURNITURE UNIT BOTTOM ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A BODY, AN EDGE PORTION INCLUDING AN UPWARDLY OPENING CHANNEL EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY OUTWARDLY AND DEPENDING FROM SAID BODY AND DEFINED BY A LONG LEG EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID BODY, A PORTION HAVING A BIGHT EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY OUTWARDLY FROM A LOWER END OF SAID LONG LEG AND TERMINATING AT AN OUTER EDGE OF SAID BIGHT IN AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING SHORT LEG FOLED OUTWARDLY UPON ITSELF AT AN UPPER EDGE THEREOF TO DEFINE A RETURN PORTION FACIALLY ABUTTING SAID SHORT LEG AND THE LOWER FACE OF SAID BIGHT AND EXTENDING INWARDLY TO AN END ADJACENT SAID LONG LEG, AND A BRACE EXTENDING INWARDLY AND UPWARDLY FROM SAID RETURN PORTION END AND CONNECTED WITH SAID BODY INWARDLY OF SAID LONG LEG. 